10 Most Memorable Moments of Bellator Season 9

10. Bellator: Fight Master

Though not necessarily original in concept, Bellator: Fight Master at least put a unique spin on the idea of a MMA competition wrapped up in a reality show. The program was unveiled this season and featured four coaches (Randy Couture, Joe Warren, Frank Shamrock, and Greg Jackson) heading squads of fighters trying to emerge as the last man standing. Seasoned scrapper Joe Riggs ultimately won the whole thing with a hard-fought decision over Mike Bronzoulis, giving “Diesel” a needed rub in terms of the next phase of his career.

9. UFC Veterans Unveiled to Mixed Results

Bellator fans saw plenty of familiar faces over the past few months thanks to the company’s move towards signing competitors with resumes featuring a stint in the Octagon. Among the UFC vets appearing in a Bellator cage this season were Diego Nunes, Terry Etim, Joey Beltran, Kendall Grove, Vlad Matyushenko, Cheick Kongo, and Quinton Jackson. Though some excelled, others stumbled, showing that the gap of talent between the UFC/Bellator may not be as big as many think.

8. Ben Askren Released

It’s not every day an unbeaten Olympian who also holds a championship and loves to sell scraps in the media is allowed to walk but, alas, that’s exactly what happened in the case of Askren. Bellator let the Askren test free agency without any restrictions only to see a lukewarm response to the 12-0 welterweight. Currently, he is expected to meet with the UFC soon, but outspoken executive Dana White has been opposed to the idea of signing Askren based on his occasionally boring approach to victory via top control.

7. Tito Ortiz vs. Quinton Jackson

Bellator tried to cash in on the dwindling star-power of former UFC champions Ortiz and Jackson by booking them for a bout. The match-up of icons was scheduled to headlined the company’s initial attempt at PPV, but was met by mixed reactions from the MMA world. Ultimately, the fight fell apart when Ortiz went down with an injury and the show was quickly moved to Spike TV based on the inability to find a worthwhile replacement on short notice.

6. Quinton Jackson Makes His Mark

After a frustrating setback due to Tito Ortiz withdrawing from their planned pairing, “Rampage” made his debut in the Bellator cage earlier this month in a bout against fellow UFC alumnus Joey Beltran. Jackson looked as sharp as ever in the showdown, pummeling “The Mexicutioner” as most expected until putting him away with strikes with a second remaining in the opening round. The win was the first for Jackson in more than two years, his first TKO in four, and his first outside of the UFC for more than six!

5. Alexander Shlemenko Lays the Smackdown

When Hector Lombard left Bellator for the UFC it was clear Shlemenko was the go-to guy in terms of being the promotion’s top middleweight. The Russian has lived up to the billing with a number of wins including two successful title-defenses in Season 9. The most recent instance of success came last night when “Storm” smashed Doug Marshall in the final minute of their match-up’s first frame.

4. Joe Warren Returns

Warren’s career appeared to be at its end after back-to-back knockout losses in 2012. However, he closed the calendar out with a decision win and made it clear he had some gas left in the tank with consecutive stoppages in 2013 to win the Season 9 bantamweight tournament (and an attached title-shot).

3. Mo Lawal Goes Down…Again

Bellator wanted Lawal to win divisional gold so bad they created an interim title despite the linear champion being healthy. The belt was put on the line in a rematch between Lawal and Emanuel Newton, giving “King Mo” a chance to show his embarrassing knockout loss to the former MFC star was a fluke. When the dust settled, it was Newton who ended up with his hand raised as a product of superior stand-up and cardio leading to a decision nod.

2. Daniel Straus Defeats Pat Curran

Curran was looking like one of the best 145ers in the world entering his title defense against Straus, a man he’d knocked out years earlier. The featherweight champ had scored six straight victories and looked excellent at lightweight prior to dipping down to 145 pounds. However, Straus proved he was the better man at Bellator 106, outpointing Curran to secure the divisional strap.

1. Eddie Alvarez Dethrones Michael Chandler

2013 was a rough year for Alvarez after seeing his dreams of a UFC debut dashed by litigation over his contractual status. Fortunately, the adversity was worth it, as Alvarez had the last laugh due to a Split Decision win over Chandler. In addition to it being an excellent effort, the fight also earned Alvarez the lightweight title and avenged a loss to boot.

Bellator’s ninth season is in the books thanks to last night’s lineup for Bellator 109. The show capped off a twelve-event run for the organization and featured some of the all-out action fans have become accustomed to when tuning in to watch the company’s competitors on Spike TV. The last few months of Bellator history were definitely some of the most memorable to date for numerous reasons, not all of them necessarily good. Here are ten of the things standing out above all others in that regard… (Photos by USA Today Sports Images)